The Raid
by Sebias of Redwall
Summary: Abe Hardspike and his family have been living in their village for as long as they could remember. However, things could take a turn for the worst as corsair ships begin to plunder the Northern Sea once again. One-shot.


**ON AN ISLAND IN THE NORTHERN SEA**

The sun's warm rays beat down unmercifully on Abe Hardspike the hedgehog's back as he leaned over slightly, hoeing his garden.

His hoe's blade suddenly hit a large rock and he straightened up as he wiped the beads of sweat from his brow. It had been a long winter, but now that was all but forgotten as Abe proudly surveyed his garden full of growing vegetables.

"Daddy! Where are you? Daddy!"

"Yes, Evie," Abe called out in reply to the shout, "I'm over here in the garden!"

A young female hedgehog popped into view from behind one of the many hills that surrounded the small hedgehog village where the Hardspike family lived. She rushed toward him on her small, and rather chubby little legs, with a bright smile spread across her face.

"There you are Daddy! Mommy says it's time for lunch and to tell you to come and eat before the food gets cold!"

Abe smiled at his daughter. "I don't need to be told twice! I could smell your Mom's cooking all the way from here! I'm hungry enough to eat a whole badger!"

"You can't be that hungry," Evie giggled. "Nobeast could eat a _whole _badger!"

_I don't know, _Abe chuckled silently to his self, _sometimes I think you and you brother could eat two badgers apiece! _The burly hedgehog reached down to grab his daughter's tiny paw as they walked paw in paw back to the house.

"I got Daddy for you, Mommy!" Evie smiled happily, scrambling onto one of the nearby chairs around their large wooden table.

Abe's other child, Elliot, was sitting on the floor listening to a story from Grandpa Bill, while their Grandma Rosie sat in the rocking chair next to him, darning socks and humming a quiet tune to herself.

Abe playfully tip-toed behind his wife Amelia, where she was pouring some cordial from an old brown beaker with her back turned to them and he suddenly leaned over and kissed her lightly on her cheek.

Amelia gasped and whirled around, giving her husband a light cuff on the arm as her face turned a light pink. "Oh! Honestly Abe!"

Abe grabbed both of her paws in his. "Look at you. Even after seasons of hard housework and toil you're still the prettiest hedgehog in all of the world!"

Amelia smiled, pleased at her husband's praise. She put on a pretend stern face and poked Abe in the stomach with a ladle. "Look at your paws, they're filthy!"

"I'm off to wash them right away, marm'! Where's the blinkin soap?"

Amelia gestured over to one of the cupboard as she continued cooking. "In there."

Evie looked on with gleeful pleasure. "Daddy forgot to wash his hands," she giggled as she skipped over to her older brother Elliot.

Amelia set down the last glass on the table. "Alright, everything is ready for us to eat. Everybeast may take their seat now."

After they said the grace, they all dug into the delicious lunch of soup and hot biscuits with gusto.

Grandpa Bill passed the plate of salad around the table. "So how's the garden looking out there, Abe?"

"Oh, it's coming along just fine. My lettuce heads are twice as big as they were last year. I think your idea of moving the garden down the hill was a splendid idea! They get much more sun there and seem to produce a lot more."

Grandpa Bill nodded his head. "I thought that might help. Glad to hear it's working." The elderly hedgehog stabbed his salad with a fork. "You know," he said, "I heard the Village Elder sayin' that more corsair ships 'ave started raiding the Northern waters again. I wonder what that'll mean fer us."

"Trouble most likely," Abe replied, shaking his head. "Corsairs are nothing but trouble."

Amelia passed a pitcher of water to Abe. "Why somebeasts feel the need to wander the sea and pillage any islands they come across is beyond me."

Abe poured his self a cup of the cool water. "Couldn't agree more, m' dear," he replied.

"Hmm," Old Bill thought aloud, "speaking of creatures who wander the sea, any news from that travelin' brother of yours?"

The table went silent as Abe slowly put his cup down. "No," he replied. "No I haven't heard from him."

The room fell into an awkward silence.

Even though it had been before either of his two children had been born, Abe remembered his brother's departure like it was yesterday.

"_Are you sure you don't want to stay with us, Dunagan," Abe had asked as they waited for the merchant ship that would pick up Dunagan and bring him to the mainland with them. "You could even move in with Amelia and me. I'm sure she wouldn't mind as long as you helped clean up after yourself."_

_Dunagan Hardspike shook his head, "We've already gone over this, little brother. I had told you that I'd only stay long enough t' see you get married to a fine lass and t' make sure that you both would be able to support yourselves without my help. Besides," he added, giving his younger brother a friendly punch in the shoulder, "I'd probably annoy the spikes off of Amelia one way or another, and just between you and me," the hedgehog glanced around secretively, (even though there wasn't anybeast anywhere near them) "I think your new mother-in-law wants me to settle down and get me a wife as well."_

"_And what would be so bad about that?" Abe asked, gesturing toward the small town beside the dock, "I'll bet there are plenty of young hedgehog maidens who'd love to be your wife."_

"_Aye, but there's one slight problem;" Dunagan chuckled, "I don't really like any of 'em back. Besides," He continued, holding up a paw so that Abe couldn't interrupt, "I just… Well… I think I have that same wandering spirit that our parents used to have. I couldn't settle down anywhere until I felt like I've explored at least a bit of the world."_

_They both stared at the wooden planking on the dock as the merchant ship slowly pulled up. As it slid up next to the dock, three otters quickly lowered a wooden platform that led up to the deck of the ship._

"_I guess this is it then," Abe said, glancing up at Dunagan. "Just remember; if you're ever in need of a place to live, our door is always open."_

"_I'll be counting on it," Dunagan replied, smiling. _

_The two brothers both embraced each other, then, Dunagan walked up the platform onto the ship. As it pulled away out toward the horizon, he stayed on the main deck, waving to Abe until they couldn't see each other."_

"Abe? Are you alright?"

The hedgehog was jerked back to the present as his wife put her paw on his, a look of concern in her eyes.

"I'm fine, dear," He replied, lightly squeezing her paw. "I was just…thinking to myself."

Grandma Rosie stood up and walked toward the fireplace where a kettle of hot water was just beginning to whistle from the heat. "These kind of conversations are probably best had when there are no young ears present anyway," she declared, indicated the two young hedgehog children. Taking the kettle, she set it down in the middle of the table. "Besides," she said, poking Grandpa Bill's rather hefty stomach, "wouldn't you rather talk to Abe about his garden or something more interesting?"

Grandpa Bill gave his wife a knowing wink. "Whatever you say, my dear." Turning to Abe, he declared, "I guess I'll have to come an' take a look at those lettuces sometime. It's about time I saw how your garden has grown since last I saw it."

"Are there enough peas for me to bring some to Lydia, later today? She only lives up the road a couple of houses," Grandma Rosie asked, pouring some milk into Evie's glass. "I promised her a bag full in exchange for some of her cinnamon bread."

"Oh, of course there are enough! We'll be shelling peas out our ears if we don't give some away!" Abe grabbed for his third biscuit as he remarked, "You know. I saw some blackberries up on the High Hill this morning. This is the perfect time of the year to pick some. What do you say I take Evie and Elliot with me and we go pick some right after lunch?"

"I've been sort of itchin' for a Blackberry pie you know. Sounds like a good idea to me." Amelia passed Abe the butter. "And I'm sure that the children would like to go with you too."

Elliot and Evie nodded their heads vehemently.

"Yes, Daddy, we would love to go with you!"

Abe took his last bite of biscuit. "Then that's what we'll do!"

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"My pails almost full," Elliot declared, raising his bucket up so his father could inspect it.

Evie joined in. "Mine too!"

Abe looked at all of the blackberries, "My my! Those look like enough to make two, nice, juicy pies!"

Evie licked her blackberry stained face. "Mmm! Mommy's cooking is my favorite!"

"Mine too!" Elliot added.

"I think we can go home now." Abe swung Evie on his shoulders. "We have plenty."

They started down the hill when Abe suddenly sniffed something strange on the wind.

_Smoke?_

Just then, Abe spotted a large ship harbored by the end of the their village's deck and large masses of smoke coming from the village. Immediately he thought of his wife and her parents. "You two, run, go hide! Don't follow me. I'll come back for you!" he yelled, running down the hill as fast as he could toward the village.

Evie took a step forward, whining pitifully, "But Daddy, where are you going?"

Not looking back, Abe called, "Elliot, no matter what, take care of your sister! Now run! Both of you run!"

He dashed down the hill. There was only one thing kept him from slowing down and catching his breath as he raced down. "Amelia! Amelia! I'm coming for you!"

As he charged through the streets like a madbeast, heedless of the vermin corsairs setting fire to the houses and pillaging, he panted heavily as his worst fear was displayed before his eyes. A group of vermin were setting his home ablaze. He rushed in and almost slammed into a tall female rat as she was giving snapping out orders to her rapscallions. "We don't need any more old hedgehogs on our ship. Kill the old ones, but bring that one with us," she ordered, pointing to Amelia, who was being held by a small rat with dark fur.

"No! Amelia!" Abe rushed across the floor, trying to reach his wife when suddenly, two vermin soldiers grabbed both of his arms, preventing him from moving forward.

Amelia turned, looking at Abe, her eyes filled with fear as she called out to him desperately for help.

The one vermin holding his right arm called out to the tall female rat, "Hey, Capt'n Slisk! What do yew want us t' do with this one?"

The tall vermin captain looked down her long snout at Abe. "We'll definitely take this one with us." She poked the furious hedgehog hard in the back with a wooden stick. "He looks like he has quite a few seasons of rowing ahead of him." Captain Slisk paused, looking between Abe and Amelia then turned back to her rats. "Well! What are you waiting for, you blundering idiots! Kill the old ones I said!"

Amelia tore from her captives grasp as she rushed toward her parents, "Nooo! Don't do this! Please!"

The small dark-furred rat charged at her from behind with his dagger out-stretched. "Get back over here, you stupid hedgehog," he growled.

Abe struggled against his captors. "Let go of me, you blasted vermin!"

Amelia turned and grabbed the small kitchen knife from the counter to defend herself and her parents. She stabbed at the the small dark-furred rat's side weakly as she tried to run past him. The rat dodged the blow and leapt forward, thrusting his dagger deep into Amelia's heart.

The world seemed to sway beneath Abe's paws as everything around him went silent. "NOOOOO! Amelia!"

"You dummy," Slisk scowled as she knocked the dagger from the smaller rat's paws, "We could've used a beast with her spirit to row!"

Abe furiously tore from the two rats' grasp in a strength that wasn't even his own as he savagely hit them and rushed over to his wife's lifeless body, tears rushing down his cheeks. "Oh, Amelia… My sweet Amelia."

Unaware of all around him except for the grief that enveloped him, he didn't see Captain Slisk nod her head and give the silent command for her rats to get him.

The hedgehog suddenly felt a terrible rage come over him. The corsairs had killed his beloved Amelia, and they were going to pay!

Giving a mighty shout, he grabbed the nearest thing closest to him – a broken piece of a table leg – and threw himself at the dark-furred rat who had murdered his loved one.

The rat had only one second to give a startled yelp of fear before the heavy piece of wood smashed deep into his skull. The vermin's eyes glazed over and he fell forward with a thud.

Abe's eyes were going blurry as he looked around for his next opponent. He saw Captain Slisk with her knives drawn, and the hedgehog charged the female searat with a cold fury that he had never felt before in his life.

Slisk merely sidestepped the inexperienced hedgehog's charge and thumped the back of her dagger's handle hard on his head.

As Abe crashed down to the floor, his vision slowly turning dark, all he could see was Amelia's pained expression as she had been killed before his eyes, playing over and over in his mind.

Giving one last growl of anguish, Abe fell senseless.

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When Abe regained consciousness, he gave a loud pained moan. _What happened? …Where am I?_

He glanced around and realized that he was in a small wooden room that was swaying ever so gently up and down.

_I must be on a ship, _Abe declared to himself. _But why am I on a ship in the first place?_

He suddenly grabbed his head with both paws as memories of the attack smashed through his already pained skull. Tears began to fall from his eyes as he recalled seeing his wife and kin being butchered by the corsairs.

"Why?" He groaned miserably, "Why her? Why did she have to die! What evil did I or my family ever do to deserve all of this?"

Completely wrapped up in his misery, he didn't hear the sound of the small room's door being opened until a large bloated rat walked in, holding a whip, and cracking it in the grieving hedgehog's direction. "So," the searat spat, "Yew're th' new one, eh? Well, my name is Whiphide. I'm 'ere t' properly introduce yew t' yer new 'ome."

Abe ignored him. Rolling into a ball, he clasped his knees and continued to weep bitterly.

"'Ey! I'm talkin' t' yew, 'edgepig! Stand up!" Whiphide snarled, whipping the hedgehog on the shoulder. "Get up!"

Abe got up.

A fire was burning in his eyes as he clenched his paws tightly. He took one slow step toward the bullying searat. Just when he was ready to pounce on the vermin with all of the little strength he had left, Abe stopped. He couldn't die on this wooden tub! If he did, then Elliot and Evie would by parentless. (It was bad enough that their mother had been killed, they shouldn't have to lose their father as well.)

"Alright," Abe managed to choke out. "What do you want me t' do?"

"Har har!" Whiphide laughed as he let his claw slide off his dagger handle, "Fer a minute there I thought y' were almost stupid enough to think 'bout tryin' t' attack me with nothin' but yer bare paws. But I guess yew might just be a bit smarter than y' look!"

As much as Abe wanted to punch the grinning rat in his fat snout, the hedgehog meekly bowed his head instead, trying to appear respectful. "Whatever you say, sir."

"Well well, yew sure seem like a keeper," the searat guffawed, "I didn't even 'ave t' whip yew that much 'n' yer already as polite as any of th' other slaves! Now," he continued, pointing at Abe with his long whip, "Yew're a rowin' slave, so yew'd better get used t' it. If there are any problems then yew'll 'ave t' answer t' Capt'n Slisk 'erself. And believe me, y' wouldn't want that if y' knew what's best fer ya. Got it?"

Abe gritted his teeth and nodded his head.

Whiphide tied Abe's paws behind his back and led him out of the small room. His captor led him down a flight of wooden steps and pushed him into a dark foul-smelling room full of painfully thin looking beasts who Abe knew were the other woodlander slaves.

The corsair untied his paws and shoved him roughly down onto an empty bench next to an old mouse and chained his left footpaw to the floor.

"Happy rowin'! Don't go nowhere, 'edgepig!" The fat corsair spun around, laughing loudly at his own joke.

Abe grabbed the oar along with the old mouse and started tugging it along to the slow beat of the drum that a small ferret pounded to keep the slaves in cadence.

As the hedgehog grunted from exertion, he fixed his gaze straight ahead and promised quietly, _I'll come back to you one day, Elliot and Evie. I'll come back and nothing or nobeast will stand in my way from finding you! If I must submit to these scum so that we might one day be together again, then so be it!_

The large corsair vessel sailed even farther away from the island where the hedgehog village still burned, leaving only two small hedgehog children in their wake, crying quietly to themselves as they grieved for their dead kin and prayed that their father would come back alive.

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_Footnote: This was a One-Shot that me and Keva Strongbow (Aka, Firestar the Warrior) had written a chunk of and thought it was about time to post it. _

_Disclaimer: Cover art is not done by either of us. _

_Thank you for reading! Please leave a review and let us know what you thought! _

_Happy reading to all of you! _


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